Winner

I was quite the beaming parent earlier this week.

We attended the 5th grade spelling bee.




In our school district, she is the 5th best speller.

In her elementary school, she is the NUMBER ONE speller!

She will go to the county spelling bee in March, to represent her school.

Which I think, is a pretty cool thing.

My most wonderful time of the year

The lodge is something we look forward to every year. The cousins actually make plans for it ALL YEAR LONG. Through emails and numerous phone calls, they plan what activities will be done, what movies will be watched, what pranks will be pulled and what special talent will be performed.

The lodge is not just your run-of-the-mill Christmas gathering, it's an EVENT. It ranks right up next to our Disney trip we take each year. It is MY most favorite part of Christmas. I cherish every second, and never want to go to sleep each night because I know it's one day closer to being over.






The way a huge family such as ours can live together for four days, with no one getting tired of each other is amazing to me. Not a lot of families can eat, sleep and play together for that amount of time. But mine can. Because we want to be together. We crave it. It's awesome.

















Some of us got alittle nutty and decided to go running. One of us dressed for the weather...one did not.



Sometimes we forget we are there to celebrate Christmas. What a bonus to get presents!





























Some of us were so exhausted after all the present opening and playing...Micah??? MICAH!!!





Then there was the annual talent show. These cousins worked so hard all year for this special night.








We had a special appearance by Hannah Montana:




Oh wait, and Miley Cyrus showed up too!




There was a ton of outdoor play, consisting of hockey playing, skating, and even winter olympics with medals at the end. (thank you Mariah and McKenna!)

















"The roots of a family begin.....
















.....with the love of two hearts."